WP Super Cache vs. W3 Total Cache (Top 5 features)

Choose the best solution to increase the performance of your website. WP Super Cache vs. W3 Total Cache (Page Load Speed).

Update 2023:

WP Super Cache & W3 Total Cache are two popular caching modules for the platform WordPress, designed to improve the performance and speed of websites. Although their main purpose is the same, there are some differences between the two modules.

Let's take a look at what each module offers, then you can choose the best solution for your website.

WP Super Cache vs. W3 Total Cache

WP Super Cache

Simple to use: WP Super Cache is a simple and easy-to-use module, especially suitable for less experienced users.

Static HTP: It generates static HTML files for dynamic pages generated by WordPress, allowing the server to serve these static files instead of dynamically generating each page on each hit.

Features for beginners and advanced: The module offers three caching modes: Simple, Expert and WP-Cache. The Simple module is generally recommended as it is easier to configure.

Function CDN integrity: WP Super Cache supports integration with the services of CDN (Content Delivery Network), allowing you to distribute static content via a fast delivery network.

Preload cache: The module also provides additional functionality such as preloading the cache to keep the cache up to date and automatically cleaning expired cache files.

W3 Total Cache

Extended functionalities: W3 Total Cache is a more complex and powerful module, offering an extensive range of functionality and configuration options.

Extended cache: The module provides various caching methods, including caching for pages, objects, databases, and browsers, allowing you to finely control how different site elements are stored and delivered.

Multiple services CDN: W3 Total Cache offers integration with multiple CDN services and support for file minification and combining CSS & JavaScript to reduce page size and improve loading speed.

Fragment caching: The module also includes advanced options like fragment caching, mobile caching and support for Varnish Cache, if your server allows it.

Extensive customization: W3 Total Cache has an extensive settings panel that allows you to customize the caching module in detail according to the specific needs of your site.

In conclusion, WP Super Cache is a simpler and easier to use module, while W3 Total Cache offers more advanced features and customization options.

If you are a less experienced user or need a quick and easy to set up solution, WP Super Cache may be the right choice. If you are an advanced user and need more granular control over caching and site performance, W3 Total Cache might be an option for you.

Original article 2010:

It is heard more and more recently that Google Search began to place more and more emphasis on site loading speedSites. (Using site speed in web search ranking). A site that loads very quickly has a higher chance of ranking on first page in the search engine (Google com).

This will also be a criterion for awarding Page Rank. Currently this "rule" only applies to US sites, but Google will extend this rule to all indexed sites.

For the sites / blogs that have the basis WordPress, the chances of loading speed optimization depend on the complexity of the graphic theme (WordPress Theme), the PHP functions used in the source, plugins, content compression (HTML, CSS, Scripts) and the host server (web hosting).

WP Super Cache & W3 Total Cache there are two plugins for WordPress designed precisely to help site owners optimize blog / site page loading speed. Both plugins transform dynamic content generated by WordPress in static HTML content.

WP Super Cache

I have heard many praise them PERFORMANCE plugin WP Super Cache, but no one tested how long it won (page load speed) With activation and setting plugin.

This plugin generates static html files from your dynamic WordPress blog. After a html file is generated your webserver will serve that file instead of processing the comparatively heavier and more expensive WordPress PHP scripts.

WP Super Cache

I tested the plugin on two sites that consume a lot of resources (CPU / memory RAM) because of "page load“. I had the times CPU very large on .html pages generated by mod_rewrite. (BRIDGE! The form permalinks /%postname%.html or /%category%/%postname%.html în .htaccess they're great for SEO, but they're killer for Apache.).

After activation and correct setting to maximum performance of the plugin WP Super Cache, no spectacular changes were seen in page load speed. As expected server resources (CPU/memory usage), plugin activation went unnoticed. I didn't really understand what didn't work, because it did a lot of cached pages.

Probably something squeaked on the lines in .htaccess. He created a real composition there, and every visitor who accesses the site first "meets" .htaccess. Many queries / directives Apache which increase the response time. What is gained by converting pages from dynamic to static is lost by loading .htaccess. The plugin is recommended for those who do not use permalinks.

Page Load Speed result with the module WP Super Cache activated and set for maximum performance

WP Super Cache vs. W3 Total Cache
WP Super Cache

Download WP Super Cache - via wordpress.org.

W3 Total Cache

Less known, W3 Total Cache is a worthy plugin to compete with the module WP Super Cache.

The fastest and most complete WordPress performance optimization plugin. W3 Total Cache improves the user experience of your blog by improving your server performance, caching every aspect of your site, reducing the download time of your theme and providing transparent content delivery network (CDN) integration.

W3 Total Cache

A somewhat better technology than the previous plugin, compression made "as per the book" and a .htaccess cleaner that gave visible results even with the settings default (quick setup mode). Activating the option "HTML minify” causes the performances to be significantly increased.

W3 Total Cache
W3 Total Cache

Download W3 Total Cache - via wordpress.org.

We do not advise anyone what plugins to “page load speed" to use. It is always good to read reviews, but before making a decision it is good to test all possible options and stop at the one that is more advantageous.

Founder and editor Stealth Settings, from 2006 to the present. Experience on operating systems Linux (in particular CentOS), Mac OS X, Windows XP> Windows 10 si WordPress (CMS).

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